Hold

the whisper is a scream
coming from beyond the dark mountains
a warning, an instruction, an insult
a knell for the arrival of pain

keep it together, the night whispers
while the insects crawl inside my bones
chittering their rebellions, vexing susurrations
while all my defenses are gone

everything is open, all naked
revealed to the elements
the shock to the system
is yet to strike home

in the end at the finish line
bewildered, surprised
how did we make it this far
did we run or did we hide